Sheltered Independent Living Center (SILC)

PROJECT SUMMARY FOR 1998-JS-FX-0006

The goal of the SILC is to provide and independent, but supervised living facility to develop independent and prosocial living skills for at-risk juvenile offenders transitioning from residential treatment and detention programs without appropriate homes to which they can return.The SILC is to establish a baseline for recidivism rate for juveniles discharged from secured residential facilities in shelby County and reduce this rate for SILC graduates of the program by 15% within a twenty-four (24) month period; to facilitate thirty (30) SILC students in acquiring a full-time or part-time job within a twenty-four (24) month period; to facilitate twenty (20) SILC students in maintaining full-time or part-time jobs for a period of 6 months or longer within a twenty-four (24) month period; to facilitate fifteen (15) SILC students in developing the necessary life skills to gain permanent housing within the community over a twenty-four (24) month period; and to provide an intensive statistical analysis (psychological tests, demographics and self-report inventories) of the youth the SILC program in an attemp to understand more about this population and what program elements are needed to redirect their lives. SILC will provide supervised transitional housing for up to sixty (60) juveniles adjudicated by the Court of Memple and Shelby County who hsve completed a rehabilitative an court supervised treatment program. On entering the center, a placement plan is developed to find appropriate living aaccommodations for the juvenile. During the
students stay,the youth will develop the skilld necessary for independent living. One focus point of the project is the linkage of participants with university students in mentor/protege program,as well as the direct involvement and sponsorship by local bussinesses.